Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin vetoed legislation seeking to improve the state’s medical cannabis program. HB 1989 sought to significantly improve product labeling and codify permissible delivery locations.
Regulations promulgated by the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority will now take effect greatly diminishing patient access by restricting all medical cannabis deliveries to only the patient’s residence. Direct-to-patient deliveries have been occurring since 2020 absent location restrcitions.
In response to the Governor’s veto, JM Pedini — NORML’s Development Director and the Executive Director for Virginia NORML — said: “With his veto, Governor Youngkin has stripped many Virginians of the reliable, direct-to-patient delivery services on which they have relied for years. Now, patients will only be able to receive medical cannabis deliveries at their residence, placing significant burdens on those who don’t have the luxury of waiting around at home during the already limited delivery service windows.”
“Virginia’s medical cannabis program delivery process has notably been operating without incident since its inception,” added NORML’s Pedini. “Claims that this bill would have expanded marijuana access are categorically false. Anyone who can read can see that this bill enumerated multiple prohibitions on delivery locations which do not currently exist under Virginia law.”
Governor Youngkin also vetoed adult-use retail legislation, a bill protecting parental rights for parents who lawfully consume cannabis, and separate measure that would have facilitated resentencing relief for people previously convicted of certain marijuana-related offenses.
“This latest veto is yet another example of the attacks on legal cannabis and responsible consumers that are underway across the nation,” said Pedini. “Youngkin rolling back legal medical access while turning a blind eye to unregulated sales in corner stores throughout the Commonwealth highlights his administration’s fundamental lack of understanding of cannabis policy as it relates to public safety.”
Additional information is available from Virginia NORML.
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